Thaindian News

New York, Jun 3 (ANI): US President Barack Obama’s married life with his wife Michelle was not so picture perfect at one point of time, says a new book titled ‘Renegade’.

Though the two now look the picture of wedded bliss, the author of the book Richard Wolffe revealed that there was a time in 2000 when the marriage appeared frostier than it is today.

“There was little conversation and even less romance,” the New York Daily News quoted Wolffe, who covered Obama’s campaign for Newsweek magazine, as writing about the period.

“She was angry at his selfishness and careerism; he thought she was cold and ungrateful,” he wrote.

At the time, Obama was a young State Senator who had decided to run a Democratic primary against incumbent Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Chicago) - a contest Obama lost by a dismal 2-1 margin.

Michelle was a new mom with two-year-old Malia at home and Sasha, born in June 2001, not far off.

“She hated the failed race for Congress in 2000, and their marriage was strained by the time their youngest daughter, Sasha, was born,” Wolffe recalled.

“Politics seemed like a waste of time to Michelle,” he stated.

Years later, when then-U.S. Senator Obama began mapping out a run for the White House, Michelle was much more open to the idea of a life in politics.

In the end, after deciding that her growing children would be fine and her husband could actually win, Michelle gave her blessing and Obama launched his White House bid.

“We’re going to be fine,” Wolffe quoted Michelle as saying.

“We just have to make sure the girls are fine. We’re strong enough to take anything on and be OK at the end,” she had said.

In a two-part special with NBC’s Brian Williams, Obama said that the normal “rhythms” of life - running errands, walking the dog, doing “things that’ll make my wife happy” - are thrown off by the presidency.

“But look, you know, Michelle and I are pretty darn lucky, and we know that,” he conceded. (ANI)